Clearing the Air
by Some Irrelevant Person
Summary: A late night rendezvous at your crush's apartment; seems like the ideal opportunity to confess, no? Well, that's certainly what Naruto thought. Sometimes, for better or for worse, things just don't go as they're planned.
1. Clearing the Air: Rewrite

Instead of working on that other story of mine, I decided I'd rewrite this one. Maybe this'll get the creative juices flowing. That or it'll turn out to be a complete waste of time. Only time will tell, I guess.

If you preferred the original, or if this is your first time reading this and you're curious about the original, just head on to the next chapter.

* * *

The time was 9PM, give or take. It was quite a pleasant night in the village hidden among the leaves. One could glance up and see a starry night sky, complimented by the pale light of a near full moon. While somewhat late, the streets were bustling with life. Couples strolled along, hands intertwined, enjoying the village ambiance. Vendors displayed their wares with bold flare, hoping to catch the eye of any passerby.

Our story however, does not concern these people. It concerns a blonde, orange and black clad boy and his crush. This boy, Naruto Uzumaki, walked at a steady pace, hands in his pockets and eyes fixated on the ground. The boy was overcome by all sorts of conflicting emotions; love, fear, excitement, worry.

' _Get yourself together, dammit.'_ Naruto thought to himself. He had stared death in the face on more than one occasion, but he had never been quite so terrified. His breathing grew heavier as he forced his legs to walk. He was only a few minutes away from _her_ place. If he had the time, he would have gone to Ichiraku's for a bite. Ramen always helped calm his nerves.

He couldn't however, it was getting late and he knew _she_ had quite the busy schedule. Naruto didn't want to risk bothering her at an inconvenient time. Moreover, while dense, he knew it wouldn't exactly be wise to have ramen breath while confessing. Despite all this, Naruto considered himself quite lucky. Usually _she_ went to bed not long after getting off work, but today _she_ had been let off early.

 _'She's such a hard worker. Granny really oughta let her off early more often.'_

Naruto's feet came to a halt. Here he was, at _her_ apartment. After taking a few moments to mentally prepare himself, he grasped the front door handles and made his way in. The blonde ninja reached into his pocket and grabbed a crinkled-up piece of paper. _'So, her apartment number starts with 2, that must mean she's on the second floor.'_

After shoving the piece of paper back in his pocket, Naruto brought his right hand to his chin, and quickly scanned the room. "Ah, there it is!" He exclaimed to himself. It was just a standard flight of stairs, but to Naruto, it felt like some sort of ascension into hell. Not only was nausea setting in, but his legs started to feel like Jell-O. Each step seemed to take a lifetime. After seemingly an eternity, the boy had finished his ascent.

Naruto quickly glanced at the doors in the hallway, then his eyes came to a stop. _'This is it! Don't chicken out now!'_ Naruto gulped, then softly slapped himself on the cheek. This was the final stretch, only a few more steps to go! He approached _her_ door at an agonizingly slow pace. What should've taken mere seconds seemed to take minutes. He brought his fist up to her door and braced himself.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK!_

The sound of scurrying footsteps could be heard, as well as a few oinks. Naruto's heart rate increased as he heard the _click_ sound of the door unlocking. The knob twisted, followed by the door opening, revealing the figure of an attractive woman. She had medium length black hair, black eyes, and wore a modest, blue kimono. She was also carrying a small pig.

She recognized the boy and gave him a soft smile. "Hi, Naruto! This is quite the surprise, what brings you here?" Naruto quickly brought his hand to his forehead, wiping away whatever sweat he could manage. While sporting his usual attire, he wasn't wearing his forehead protector. The cloth was usually quite efficient at absorbing sweat.

"U-uh, h-hi Shizune a-and Tonton!" He stuttered. "C-can I come i-in for a b-bit?" Shizune was concerned over how nervous he sounded. This wasn't the confident, determined Naruto she knew. A worried expression came over her as she looked the boy over. Noticing him squirming in anticipation, she sighed.

"It's okay, Naruto. You can come in." Setting Tonton down, she opened the door further and let Naruto in. Closing the door behind her, she walked into her living room then took a seat on her couch; gesturing for Naruto to join her. He gulped, then nodded, and plopped himself down next to the woman.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Naruto?" She asked.

Naruto gulped nervously. _'Alright, doofus, don't blow it!'_ "W-well… I just wanted to uh, check up on you." He scratched his right cheek nervously. "I heard granny let you off early, so I thought maybe we could… hang out, I guess?"

' _Hang out, I guess? That was pathetic.'_

Despite her confusion, Shizune smiled softly. "Hang out? Sure, if you want. I don't think there's much fun you can have with someone like me, though."

"Nonsense!" Naruto suddenly grabbed the woman's hands, causing her face to flush bright red. Realizing just what he did, the blonde blushed himself and promptly released her hands. "Uh, s-sorry about that. I guess I got a bit carried away…" Clearing his throat, he continued.

"Whatever you wanna do is fine with me. If you wanna talk, read, watch TV, cook… as long as I'm spending time with you, I don't mind." Her face still flushed, Shizune's smile stretched wider. _'As long as he's spending time with me… surely, he's not interested in me, is he?'_ The raven-haired woman's smile faltered before she shook her head.

' _What are you thinking, Shizune! This is Naruto! Of course he doesn't see me that way.'_

Meanwhile, Naruto was dealing with his own feelings of uncertainty. _'Jeez, I may have come on a little too strong there. Look at her! She must think I'm a total dork.'_

"It's just," the teenage boy started as he rubbed the back of his head, "even though we're friends, you're always so busy. We hardly have any time to, y'know, spend together." Naruto removed his hand from his head then started to fidget with his collar. It wasn't a hot night by any means, and Shizune's apartment was kept at a temperate 68℉ (20℃). Despite this, the blonde couldn't help but feel incredibly hot.

"That's awfully sweet of you, Naruto. I'd love to spend time with you, but it's a little late to go out anywhere. Honestly, I was just going to settle down and watch some television." Naruto slumped back and relaxed ever so slightly. "That sounds… nice. Were you gonna watch anything in particular, or just flip around?"

"Well… I _was_ going to flip around, but with a guest over, perhaps a movie would be more appropriate. I have a few tapes in the cabinet over there, you can pick one to watch." Noticing the boy staring at her, she started flailing her hands around nervously. "O-only if you want to! We don't have to watch a movie if you're not interested."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow then flashed her a bright grin. "I think watching a movie's a great idea! Let's see what you have." Springing forth from the couch, the blonde walked over to the cabinet. He took his time to observe her collection. _'Hmm, she's got a lot of romantic looking stuff here. Maybe, just maybe, a movie like that would help set the mood.'_

Naruto squinted and began scratching his chin. _'But do I really wanna watch a sappy romance flick? That's not really my thing, I might fall asleep before I can even tell her how I feel. Decisions, decisions…'_

"I'm sorry if there's nothing that interests you. I don't really have much, I know," Shizune said somewhat bashfully. Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, it's alright. I think I found something interesting."

"Oh? What did you pick?"

Standing up, Naruto held up his chosen tape; all the while a victorious grin was plastered across his face. Shizune tilted her head as she read the case. "Tampopo? I haven't got around to watching that one yet."

"It's about ramen! I just know it'll be great!"

…

Nearly two hours passed as the two watched the movie. Both were quite enamored with the picture; it was funny, unique, odd, and most importantly, it had ramen! What wasn't there to like? As the credits began to scroll, Naruto soon realized just how close Shizune was to him. Her left arm was leaned against his right; her head was tilted slightly so it was only an inch or so away from his own.

Almost simultaneously, the two turned to face each other. Both sported nervous expressions and reddened faces. "A-are you uncomfortable, Naruto?" Shizune quietly asked. The blonde swallowed a sizeable lump in his throat before replying. "No, actually…" he sighed, then closed his eyes for a few seconds, "…I'm more comfortable than I've ever been."

Not saying a word, Shizune slowly rested her head against Naruto's shoulder. To the teen's credit, he didn't flinch. He simply smiled; his eyes slightly weary. Raising his left index finger, he opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly stopped himself. _'I do love you, Shizune… but I'm starting to think springing this on you all of a sudden isn't the way to go. Maybe a little patience would do me well.'_

The two sat in contentment for several minutes, before Shizune eventually drifted off to sleep. Gently picking her up, Naruto carried the woman to her room and carefully placed her on her bed. After wrapping her sheets and blanket around her, he gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before departing.

As he walked through the now quiet streets of the Hidden Leaf, Naruto donned a very satisfied smile. _'I may not have done what I set out to do, but all in all, I think that went pretty well.'_

* * *

Shizune's heart sunk into her chest. The Fourth Shinobi World War had just ended, and the hero and champion of the Shinobi alliance, Naruto Uzumaki, _her_ Naruto, was gravely injured. Upon returning to the Leaf Village, Naruto and Sasuke had been rushed to the hospital. Both missing an arm and suffering from severe chakra exhaustion and blood loss. Needless to say, the situation was extremely dire.

For those few days after the war ended, Shizune felt a despair she had never felt before. As the days and months went by, the two had spent more and more time together. Shizune's feelings had truly deepened for the boy. Try as she may to deny it, she couldn't help but fall madly in love with Naruto's determined spirit and sweet, caring nature. He was quite the looker too, Shizune certainly felt.

It seemed as if she was about to lose the man she loved. And that man didn't even know how much she loved him. She cursed herself repeatedly for keeping her feelings bottled up. She swore to herself that if Naruto made it, she'd tell him how she felt, no matter what.

Shizune was right by Naruto's side the entire time. When she wasn't working to heal him, she spent as much time as possible just being by his side. She never wanted to be away from the blonde again.

Despite all her fears and concerns, Naruto survived. He always persevered against all odds. Part of it was because of the fox, but Shizune knew there was more to it. Naruto had a fire, an iron will that refused to give up.

Not too long after his condition had stabilized, Naruto woke up. It was late, the only person in the room besides him was a sleeping Shizune. He groggily forced his eyelids open and noticed a familiar black-haired woman, her head resting against his feet, snoring lightly.

"Sh-Shizune?"

Shizune's eyes twitched open and she proceeded to yawn. Then she froze. _'Did he just say my name?'_

She jerked her head and looked towards Naruto. She noticed he was smiling. It wasn't a wide, toothy grin, but it was genuine. He was happy, and that alone made Shizune feel at ease. Naruto began to speak, but Shizune brought her right index finger to his lips, silencing him.

"I love you, Naruto." She said with a warm smile.

His eyes widened. Shizune removed her finger and brought her face closer to Naruto's. Black met blue as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes. They could each feel the other's breath; their hearts were beating in unison.

"I love you too, Shizune." Naruto replied, this time revealing a few teeth as he smiled.

Shizune leaned in and both lips met in a passionate kiss. A moment neither of them ever wanted to end.


	2. Clearing the Air: Original

The original version. Not overly fond of it, but here it is regardless.

 **Summary**

 _Teen love can be so complicated. It's awkward enough confessing to someone your own age, but a 30 year-old woman who sees you as a kid brother? Naruto's just thrown himself into the lion's den._

* * *

It was 9PM, give or take. It was quite a pleasant night in the village hidden among the leaves. One could glance up and see a starry night sky, complimented by a near full moon. While somewhat late, the streets were bustling with life. Couples strolled along, hands intertwined, enjoying the village ambiance. Vendors displayed their wares with bold flare, hoping to catch the eye of any passerby.

Our story however, does not concern these people. It concerns a blonde, orange and black clad boy and his crush. This boy, Naruto Uzumaki, walked at a steady pace, hands in his pockets and eyes staring straight at the ground. The boy was overcome by all sorts of conflicting emotions; love, fear, excitement, worry.

' _Get yourself together, dammit.'_ Naruto thought to himself. He had stared death in the face on more than one occasion, but he had never been this terrified before. His breathing grew heavier as he forced his legs to walk. He was only a few minutes away from _her_ place. If he had the time, he would have gone to Ichiraku's for a bite. Ramen always helped calm his nerves.

But he couldn't, it was getting late and he knew _she_ had quite the busy schedule. Naruto didn't want to risk bothering her at an inconvenient time. Moreover, while dense, he knew it wouldn't exactly be wise to have ramen breath while confessing. Despite all this, Naruto was quite lucky. Usually _she_ went to bed not long after getting off work, but today _she_ had been let off early. _'She's such a hard worker. Granny really oughta let her off early more often.'_

Naruto's feet came to a halt. Here he was, at _her_ apartment. After taking a few moments to mentally prepare himself, he grasped the front door handles and made his way in. The blonde ninja reached into his pocket, and grabbed a crinkled-up piece of paper. _'So, her apartment number starts with 2, that must mean she's on the second floor.'_

After shoving the piece of paper back in his pocket, Naruto brought his right hand to his chin, and quickly scanned the room. "Ah, there it is!" He exclaimed to himself. It was just a standard flight of stairs, but to Naruto, it felt like some sort of ascension into hell. Not only was nausea setting in, but his legs started to feel like Jell-O. Each step seemed to take a lifetime. After seemingly an eternity, the boy had finished his ascent.

After quickly glancing at the doors in the hallway, his eyes stopped. _'This is it! Don't chicken out now!'_ Naruto gulped, then softly slapped himself on the cheek. This was the final stretch, there were only a few more steps to go! He approached _her_ door at an agonizingly slow pace. What should've taken mere seconds seemed to take minutes. He brought his fist up to her door and braced himself.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK!_

The sound of scurrying footsteps could be heard, as well as a few oinks. Naruto's heart rate increased as he heard the _click_ sound of the door unlocking. The knob twisted, followed by the door opening, revealing the figure of an attractive woman. She had medium length black hair, black eyes, and wore a modest, blue kimono. She was also carrying a small pig.

She recognized the boy and gave him a soft smile. "Hi, Naruto! This is quite the surprise, what brings you here?" Naruto quickly brought his hand to his forehead, wiping away whatever sweat he could manage. While sporting his usual attire, he wasn't wearing his headband. The cloth was usually quite efficient at absorbing sweat.

"U-uh, h-hi Shizune a-and Tonton!" He stuttered. "C-can I come i-in for a b-bit?" Shizune was concerned over how nervous he sounded. This wasn't the confident, determined Naruto she knew. A worried expression came over her as she looked the boy over. Noticing him squirming in anticipation, she sighed.

"It's okay, Naruto. You can come in." She opened the door further and let Naruto in. After closing the door behind her, she walked into her living room. She took a seat on her couch, and gestured for Naruto to join her. He gulped, then nodded, and plopped himself down on the couch next to Shizune.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Naruto?" The woman asked. Naruto clenched his fists and opened his mouth. "I LOVE Y-" He quickly cut himself off, mentally cursing himself for slipping up so soon. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! He meant to build up to it! Shizune smiled for a few seconds. Then finally registered what the boy had declared. Her expression changed to that of complete shock.

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

In her panic she dropped Tonton. The pig let out a sharp squeal and ran off into another room. Naruto darted off the couch and began shouting apologies. "I'm so sorry, Shizune. I-I meant to start off a bit more subtle, but I messed up big time!" He turned away from her out of embarrassment, and started nervously scratching the back of his head.

' _He really loves me?'_ Shizune thought to herself. She took a breath and got up. She grasped Naruto's arm and turned him around to face her. "I-its okay, Naruto. W-we can t-talk about this." They both sat down again, and Naruto started.

"Well… ever since I met you, back when me and the pervert were looking for granny Tsunade, I've had these funny feelings about you." He averted his gaze and continued. "You were so kind, a-and cute. I couldn't believe someone like you could be so close to a grouch like granny!" Shizune blushed at the cute remark.

' _Cute? I can't remember the last time someone called me that…'_

"At first, it was just a crush. But after coming to know you, the real Shizune, I've come to l-love you." Her blushed spread even further. "You're kind, strong, and beautiful. That old pervert is always going on about how great granny looks, but compared to you… she isn't even close."

Shizune sputtered for a bit, trying to come up with an appropriate response. A few seconds later, she had gathered her thoughts. "But what about Sakura? I thought you loved her?" Naruto chuckled nervously. "She's cute, that's for sure. And I do care for her a lot, but… I don't love her. Not like _that_ at least." He scratched his cheek and gave a weak grin.

"What about the age difference? I'm 15 years older than you!"

Naruto stared deep into her eyes. "I don't care. In the grand scheme of things, 15 years isn't that much! And besides…" Naruto put his hands on hips and puffed out his chest. "I'm a ninja, remember? I'm practically an adult!" Shizune chuckled at his bravado.

While still somewhat flabbergasted over Naruto's revelations, she couldn't help entertaining the idea of reciprocating his feelings _'He is brave, and strong, and… cute.'_ She pinched the bridge of her nose. _'And he's had such a positive impact on Tsunade's and my lives. I don't know where we'd be if it wasn't for him…'_

Shizune shook her head. _'No! It just isn't right. He's like a little brother to me and a son to Tsunade. I couldn't.'_ She put her hands on his shoulders and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you feel the way that you do, but it just wouldn't be right for me to reciprocate." Naruto was downcast at this. "Oh… I see." He muttered, refusing to make eye contact. "I still care about you a lot, Naruto. I really don't want this to come between our friendship… We're still friends, aren't we?"

His lips twitched into a weak grin. "Y-yeah, we're still friends."

* * *

Shizune's heart sunk into her chest. The Fourth Shinobi World War had just ended, and the hero and champion of the Shinobi alliance, Naruto Uzumaki, _her_ Naruto, was gravely injured. Upon returning to the Leaf Village, Naruto and Sasuke had been rushed to the hospital. Both missing an arm and suffering from severe chakra exhaustion, the situation was extremely dire.

For those few days after the war ended, Shizune felt a despair she had never felt before. As the days and months went by after his confession, Shizune's feelings had only deepened for the boy. Try as she may to deny it, she couldn't help but fall in love with his determined spirit.

It seemed as if she was about to lose the man she loved. And that man didn't even know how much she loved him. She cursed herself repeatedly for keeping her feelings bottled up. She swore to herself that if Naruto made it, she'd tell him how she felt, no matter what.

Shizune was right by Naruto's side the entire time. When she wasn't working to heal him, she spent as much time as possible just being with him. She never wanted to be away from him again.

Despite all her worries, Naruto survived. He always survived against all odds. Part of it was because of the fox, but Shizune knew there was more to it. Naruto had a fire, an iron will that refused to give up. She desperately hoped that his refusal to give up also applied to his feelings towards her.

Not too long after his condition had stabilized, Naruto woke up. It was late, the only person in the room besides him was a sleeping Shizune. He groggily forced his eyelids open and noticed a familiar black-haired woman, her head resting against his feet, snoring lightly.

"Sh-Shizune?"

Shizune's eyes twitched open and she proceeded to yawn. Then she froze. _'Did he just say my name?'_

She jerked her head and looked towards Naruto. She noticed he was smiling. It wasn't a wide, toothy grin, but it was genuine. He was happy, and that alone made Shizune feel at ease. Naruto began to speak, but Shizune brought her right index finger to his lips, silencing him.

"I love you, Naruto." She said with a warm smile.

His eyes widened. Shizune removed her finger and brought her face closer to Naruto's. Black met blue as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes. They could each feel the other's breath, their hearts beating in unison.

"I love you too, Shizune." Naruto replied, this time revealing a few teeth as he smiled.

Shizune leaned in and both lips met in a passionate kiss. A moment neither of them ever wanted to end.


End file.
